Shadow in the Darkness
by touchtheskies
Summary: Uchiha Itachi, reduced to a mere shadow of his former self- listless, pale, tired- in bed. And then there's the light of his bed-ridden life; the smile-bringer of his day, Uchiha Sasuke, his little brother. Yes indeed, sickness is a b*tch.
1. Silence

Uchiha Itachi, yes _the_ Uchiha Itachi; reduced to a mere shadow of his former self, hiding away in his room- listless, pale, tired. Yes indeed, sickness is a bitch.

First story! I finally whipped up the motivation (after 3 years of reading fanfics) to write one- this is a really short chapter- later chapters (if I decided to continue the fic) will be much longer. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Kishimoto-san owns Naruto!

* * *

He had been in bed for quite a while now. Time passed at such a slow rate; it was like watching glue drip out of a clogged and stubborn dispenser. Everything went in slow motion, and the interminable ticking of his clock was enough to put anyone to sleep. But no, he could not fall asleep.

It was utterly silent. By the insistence of his all-too-caring mother, he was not to be disturbed. Yes, Uchiha Mikoto was a caring one. A lovely woman that made it her life's mission to care for and love her two beloved kids and her handsome husband. But it annoyed Itachi. He needed to speak with another human. He had been sick with some odd sickness that had yet to be diagnosed by the doctors. He was so fatigued, yet could not sleep. Countless headaches, dizzy spells, weakness in every single one of his limbs… Not one of the expert doctors-that his rich parents hired from all over the country- could diagnose him. So here he was; lying in his bed listening to the ticking of his clock.

It was even somewhat embarrassing. The prodigy son of Uchiha Fugaku, listless in his bed, not even able to stand up without assistance. His parents were optimistic; they always were. Always encouraging him, always telling him that he was the best. Not that he felt it right now. Now, all he could feel was the pounding of his head.

Mikoto peered into her elder son's room.

"Darling, how are you? How do you feel? Do you need anything? Would you like anything to eat? Drink?….."

And so she went on and on. Itachi had recently acquired the skill of blocking her out until she stopped her list of questions.

"Fine. Good. No. No. No….."

And so came her rebounds… " Are you sure? Look at you- so skinny! Well, not in a good way- you're all skin and bones!….." And so on so forth.

A few more exchanges afterwards, she left, leaving him in silence again. He looked around his room, peering at his laptop on his bed-side table. If only he had the strength to reach for it… There was a small creaking sound. It came from the door. Now if he were healthy, Itachi would have identified the intruder minutes ago. But, alas, he wasn't. It unnerved him a little- he would be helpless if it were a killer outside his door. Well, good thing it wasn't. It was his little brother, Sasuke. They were close, the two of them. He was the prodigy and the most handsome guy in Konoha; Sasuke was the cute one. Well, bluntly stated. Sasuke _was_ really cute and very small for his age. He was the one handed from adult to adult at parties. Sasuke's life was one of constant cuddling and cooing. It wasn't his fault he was so damn adorable…

The door squeaked some more.

"Come in", Itachi said in his now very quiet and tired voice.

Sasuke's head popped in through the door, followed by his little body. His face held a wide smile and his eyes were lit up like Christmas tree lights.

"How are you? Are you okay? You don't look okay but whatever I had school today and those really annoying girls kept talking to me and it really sucked and I practiced using shuriken today and I'm pretty good at it even though you'll help me when you're better right? Of course you will and you know that one guy that……"

Yes, Sasuke definitely inheirited Mikoto's talkative genes. Yet Itachi listened patiently as he studied the features of his little brother. The bright eyes, the little hand gestures he used while he was ranting, the tiny of tinyest scrunches of his nose as he talked about girls…

Sasuke's voice rose with excitement as he began ranting about training. Which, of course, led to the inevitable interruption of his mother.

"Sweetheart, what are you doing here? Ni-san's tired. Let's leave him to rest. Why don't we bake some cookies? I know you love to cook!"

Sasuke gave a pouty look. Mikoto walked forward and picked him up much like a person would pick up a cat. They left. And again, there was silence.

* * *

You like? Should I continue the story?


	2. Worry

Disclaimer: Do you see Itachi petting Sasuke who's sitting on his lap as Sasuke, in turn, purrs in delight? Well, that means Naruto belongs to Kishimoto-san!

* * *

Shadow in the Darkness Chapter 2

He blinked twice, forcing himself to open his eyes.

_It's probably around midday-ish, _he thought,

The sun was beaming into his room through his dark curtains, casting shadows on his floor and furniture. Itachi lied still for a few moments, contemplating whether to attempt to hoist himself up to look at his clock, which was on the wall that the headboard of his bed was on, or to lay in wait for his mother to inevitably check in with him. He chose the latter…

Sasuke was definitely at the academy. It had to be around 12:00- he could hear his parents' quiet chatter, but his brother's enthusiastic and joyful voice was not to be heard. His father had recently taken to coming home from his job as Chief Police to have lunch. This way, he could go back to work with a half-secure feeling, knowing that Itachi was alright. Itachi was feeling slightly better today. Tired as he was, he decided to at least sit up and go on his laptop- maybe check his email, chat with a few of his friends…

He had to get up anyways- today held another doctor appointment in store for him. He sighed. That would mean more needles, more poking, more annoying questions- not that Itachi was afraid of needles. No, in fact, it was actually Sasuke that was frightened of them- terrified, actually.

"Tou-chan!"

Uchiha Fugaku abruptly stopped midsentence in his conversation with Mikoto. The two of them immediately rushed to Itachi's aid.

"Can you help me get up?"

"Alright, but don't wear yourself out."

Fugaku gently propped Itachi up. They say that the Uchiha Clan is powerful and merciless- which, in many aspects is very true, but when it comes to their children, I bet you that they're one of the most kind and caring clans there are in Konoha.

"Why don't you get dressed? Would you like something to eat? Drink? They said you had to be fully hydrated before they perform any tests on you. We have to leave in thirty minutes. Would you like anything? Here, let me pick out some clothes for you…"

Mikoto finished and walked over to Itachi's closet, leaving father and son in silence. Fugaku shrugged at Itachi.

"Isn't it lovely? So quiet..." Fugaku smiled. "Don't worry about the appointment. I'm _sure_ this is it. They'll figure it out."

Itachi stayed silent. He loved his mother and her crazed motherly instincts, but just having his father around with him felt just as comforting.

"Is Sasuke at the academy?"

"Yeah. We'll pick him up after the appointment."

And so Itachi dressed. After much difficulty, they were on their way to Konoha Hospital, where the prodding and testing was to be done.

* * *

AT THE HOSPITAL

Time skip until after appointment- yeah, sorry 'bout that

* * *

Sasuke stood waiting on the top of the monkey bars. His eyes scanned over the landscape, as if in search for something. And indeed he was. He was looking around for his mother- looking for a very pretty woman smiling with bright white teeth and outstretched arms. He readjusted his balance, leaning back to look at the clouds.

_Mmm, pretty. Like mommy. Like tomatoes, new shuriken, and 'tachi's hair…. _

He laughed out loud, earning stares from his fellow classmates.

_Ni-san would KILL me if he heard me call his hair pretty. But it's so silky! Like….like…._

A pair of strong hands grabbed him around the waist and pulled him into a big hug.

"Daddy!!"

Sasuke snuggled close to his father's chest, breathing in the familiar and comforting scent of Fugaku's favorite cologne.

"Why are you picking me up? Mommy usually comes..."

Fugaku planted a light kiss on Sasuke's forehead. It was moments like these that he wished would last forever.

_Damn, this kid's adorable…._

"Ni-san had an appointment and your mother and I went along. They're on the car waiting for us."

They arrived home. Itachi went directly to his room, locked the door, and promptly fell asleep. Mikoto dragged her husband outside to help with the landscaping.

"Honey, our house looks fine-that's why we hired a groundsman in the first place- so _we_ wouldn't have to do anything. You're defeating the purpose!", Fugaku whined.

Mikoto dragged him outside.

Sasuke listened to his father's complaints die away as the adults reached outside. It was just him now, alone.

What would he do with this time? Usually, he would spend it bothering Itachi, but Itachi didn't look too well and was asleep.

_What's wrong with Ni-san? He's been so tired and boring lately- no missions, no training, no...anything! Is something wrong? Mom and Dad told him not to train- which is, like, totally weird and like they usually tell him to train a lot and like Dad has been totally not as happy and like Ni-san has been going to the hospital a lot and like...like...like..._

Ranting. It was a way of relief for Sasuke, where he could process thoughts through his mind clearly- even with all the "likes" and the "totally's". It was like a mindset for him.

* * *

Itachi stared at the intricate patterns on his ceiling. The swirls and bends in the design were so detailed and exact...

Inside, though, he was thinking. Deep and hard. The appointment had gone alright- it was the same procedure that every other doctor had done on him- blood tests,MRI brain scan, CAT scan, and an over-all body check. He looked down at his legs. The doctor had seemed pretty concerned about the bruises that had been showing up randomly. His parents had begged him to tell them how he got them- whether from basketball (which he thoroughly enjoyed) or from training. He had answered 'neither'. It was the truth- Itachi didn't remember a single time where he had gotten hit during basketball or training. He was pretty cautious when it came to that sort of thing.

It was pretty annoying, though. The bruises hurt every time his parents tried to examine them, and even when his covers slid across his legs when he moved in bed. It was troublesome and painful.

A dull throb from his abdomen caused Itachi to turn on his side.

_Whatever. Why am I so worried? It's probably nothing. It doesn't matter if I think about it or not- Mom and Dad are here. They're behind me, always and forever._

Surely enough, a peaceful slumber- one well deserved- sent Itachi drifting off to sleep.

* * *

Thanks for the reviews!!

I was so excited to get reviews on my first story- I'm VERY happy with the feedback I received. You guys are THE BEST!

I changed the names to "Mikoto" instead of "Keiko"- sorry! I guess i didn't even realize i was writing that! Haha, weird me...

And sorry for the late update- I've been slacking on everything- It's fourth quarter highschool, what can i say?

Love you all!


	3. Numb

Thanks for all the reviews! I'm so glad that I got so much positive feedback! Love you all!

Disclaimer: Kishimoto-san owns Naruto!

* * *

Shadow in the Darkness- Numb

He was dizzy. The ceiling seemed to taunt him with the swirls and patterns. He felt clammy and hot- every toss and turn was painful. His voice was too sore and hoarse to even whisper for help. The interminable ticking of his clock sounded like explosive notes. The headache pressed on and on- no sign of subsiding at all. _Kill me now…please…_

And then he closed his eyes.

O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-

_Beep. Beep. Beep. _Hushed whispers surrounded him and slight breezes signaling movement were present all around him. He felt a hand grasping his own and a hand stroking his hair. Squeezing his eyes shut, he felt himself flush.

_Here I am, exposed, vulnerable…weak. Utterly weak._

Especially in front of Sasuke. He was supposed to be the invincible big brother. But no, here he is in the hospital with no means of independence.

He gradually opened his eyes. His father was holding on to his hand. His mother was stroking his hair. Sasuke was sitting on the bed- looking at him with big, scared eyes.

_They all look so scared- even Dad…_

"Darling, you gave us _such_ a scare! Are you alright? Should I call the nurse?"

He opened his mouth to answer, but no sound came out. His lips were dry.

Fugaku looked down at his son. His heart pounded loudly in his ears.

_He's alright. He's going to be ok, _he thought over and over.

Fugaku caught himself staring at Itachi. Father and son caught each others' gazes. Fugaku smiled at his son.

* * *

And once again, we find Itachi lying in his bed, listening to the- no, not the clock- but the beeping of machines around him. He passed the next week with low spirits. The machines gave him headaches and he would have preferred his comfortable king sized bed to the hard, uncomfortable twin sized that he had been given.

The nurses were friendly and caring toward him. However, the sad attempts to "secretively" flirt with him failed miserably. He watched, amused, and as the week passed on the skirts of the nurses mysteriously became shorter and shorter…

A nurse strolled into the room with an assortment of medical equipment. It was expected now. The nurse silently adjusted the morphine IV- turning the pain medication lower as to help him adjust without it. She then walked to the foot of the bed to fill out his evaluation.

"You're progressing well! However, your red blood count is consistently low. We're going to perform a few more tests and…."

He droned her out. More tests? No problem. Been there, done that. Now if only he could reach over and turn up the morphine….

The nurse continued on.

"Your father and I have been talking and we've mutually decided that it would be alright for you to take one of the newly developed tests- oh, and don't worry, they're so close to being passed by the administration. Your father and I have also…oh, and speaking of "I's", you have the most _gorgeous_ eyes! So dark and mysterious- a handsome guy like you _must _be constantly taken by…"

_You know what? I'm just going to ignore you until you leave, _Itachi thought. And sure enough, the nurse left after she sensed that he was "tired" or more accurately, "annoyed".

O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-

He had not been out of bed since the day of his collapse. He later learned that he had a seizure, became unconscious, and was found by the unsuspecting Sasuke.

So that's why he's been so nervous around me…

Poor kid. Walks right into his brother's room just to ask whether he would like dinner in his room or not. Sees his brother dead-like nearly falling off the bed. Yeah, poor kid.

The brothers did not speak much at the hospital. Just the bare minimum- the polite "good moring's", "How are you's" and awkward conversations about the weather. This is not to say, though, that Itachi did not come in contact with anyone else. His room was constantly bombarded by visitors- which could have contributed to the silence from Sasuke. Gifts and 'Get Well' cards were stacked everywhere. It didn't matter though. He didn't want these material things. He just wanted to hear his little brother's voice. To speak to him. To connect with him…

And he couldn't. Not here. But he convinced himself…_I'll talk to him when I'm better. I know I will.  
_

* * *

Thanks again for all the reviews! It really motivates me to update faster. Oh, and the "Keiko"'s that I stupidly wrote in the first chapter should be completely changed by now. Thanks for bringing it to my attention!

* * *


	4. Moonlight

I'm sorry. I really am. Would you like a very pink and pretty cupcake?

Why haven't I updated? Well I guess I could tell you why...

Ok, so right after I posted chapter three, I got a bunch of reviews and started writing this next chapter. For some reason, when I went back to work on this chapter, it wasn't there! So I decided to wait it out and rewrite it the next week. Well, I went camping the next week, and afterwards I kept thinking- "uhhh- what am I supposed to tell my readers? I haven't updated in two weeks!" So I kept on trying to think up good reasons as to why I haven't update. Then I totally forgot about it! So yeah, I'm very very very very sorry, but I'll offer you a cupcake, alright?

I actually have a very brilliant and bright idea. NOT. But if someone or if a bunch of people could remind me to update once in a while (PM me!), I would SO TOTALLY update faster! Or even if I had a beta- I would DEFINITELY update faster. Bring on the pressure!!

And also, are there any other authors out there with the same problem I do? I know EXACTLY how I want the story to be - I have it all planned out in my mind, but I can't seem to begin the chapter right, thus losing my motivation!

* * *

The grasshoppers and birds gently chirped in an alternating pattern in the dead of the night. It was a sleep-inducing song, and everyone in the house was peacefully asleep. Well, nearly everyone.

Itachi was wide awake. He was turned on his side to face the window. The moon was directly outside his window, and his curtains were pulled back. The moonlight cast beams of radiance onto the floor, furniture, and the pale boy. Shadows lurked in every corner.

The beams of light that were cast upon his face accentuated the sharp, awake eyes that were gazing outside. The moonlight seemed to love him. His high cheekbones and flawless skin made him seem as if a prince, a graceful and elegant being. The bruises that flawed his skin could not be seen in this lighting- moonlight is colorblind.

He was thinking. Wisps of philosophy seemed to glide around the air- or were those just fireflies that had entered through the window? Life, death, and everything in between clouded his mind. A doctor had asked -ordered- them to come to the hospital immediately tonight- well, seeing that it was past midnight, it was actually yesterday night. He had heard his parents pleading the doctor to come in the morning because Itachi was asleep, and they did not want to wake him up. What they didn't know was that Itachi was wide awake and listening to the phone on his line. After much convincing, the doctor reluctantly agreed to postpone the appointment until the following morning. Let us accredit this to Itachi's troubled sleep –or actually, lack thereof.

"We think we have a diagnosis"

"_That's great news! What is it?"_

"_I'd like to discuss this in person. Could you come to the hospital immediately? Meet me in room 307B- it's on the second floor and-"_

"_We can't. Itachi's asleep and-"_

"_Wake him up. This is extremely important. I hope you understand the magnitude of concern I have for him."_

"_I know, but he hasn't been able to sleep ever since he left the hospital. I'm pretty sure he's sleeping now, and we would like to let him have a chance to catch up on the sleep that he hasn't been able to get lately. If you have a diagnosis, then I am sure that you would like him mentally prepared and awake when you deliver it."_

"_Very well. Bring him in at seven, tomorrow morning. Oh, and bring along everyone, alright?_

"_Even Sasuke?"_

"_Especially him."_

He had replayed the conversation many times in his head. What the hell? "Magnitude of concern"? "Extremely important"? What concerned him the most was "bring along everyone- even Sasuke". Why? Why would they drag his baby (not really, but that's how he still felt about Sasuke) brother along? Was it really that bad?

* * *

"Itachi! Hey bud, time to wake up!"

Someone was gently shaking his shoulder and prodding him. His eyelids felt as heavy as heck, but he opened them nonetheless. It was his father. Fugaku propped him up against his pillows and sat down on the bed.

"The doctor called last night and he wants us all to come to the hospital at seven- he said that they have a diagnosis! Isn't that great?"

_Yay, Itachi thought sarcastically. I get to know what the hell is wrong with this freakin body that you gave me. Sigh. Why am I so mean to my parents? They give me everything- everything I want, plus support and love. I give them...hospital bills, worry, and...yeah. That's it._

"Nghhh"

"I know, I know. I hate to wake you up so early, too, but we really should get going. Look- it's 6:15. You still have to get ready and eat breakfast! Come on!"

With this, Fugaku began to dress Itachi, who was still half asleep...

* * *

Ok. I think I'll stop there. Yeah, I know. Really really really really short, but I'll try to get the next chapter up as soon as possible! If you didn't read the top of the page, please do so!

And again, thank you all SO MUCH for reviewing! It really makes be feel happyful!

Love you all, you BEAUTIFUL people!


	5. Diagnosis

Disclaimer: Kishimoto-san owns Naruto!

Many people have been asking me what's wrong with Itachi- you'll just have to sit tight and find out! :-P

* * *

Everyone was silent as they followed the nurse, navigating through the whitewashed and interminable halls of the hospital. Everything was uniform- from the couches to the pictures- well, uniformly boring. The anti-bacterial smell was starting to get to Itachi, who gazed around at the place. It was too clean, too plain, and too organized.

_I would never be able to stay here for long…_he thought silently.

Looking around, he saw doctors buried in files as they walked around hurriedly. Nurses bustled past people with carts filled with bottles and syringes. Worried adults sat in chair lined along the many hallways.

They passed by a familiar room- the room that he had done a spinal tap in. He shuddered. The spinal tap was one thing he wished he could forget-

-_flashback-_

_Itachi was in a fetal position on a cold and flat table. The doctor was explaining the procedure and was talking about what to expect. _

"_Hold still as it's happening- you can scream, you can cry, you can squeeze your dad's hand until it come off, but the important thing is not to move. Oh, and stay relaxed. Trust me, it'll help."_

_--'Haha, yeah. Sure. Relax. Enough bullshit. He's going to insert a seven inch needle into my back and I'm supposed to relax?'--_

_The preparations took 30 minutes. First came disinfecting, then anesthetic. By the time it finally began, Itachi was almost over his initial anxiety. A paper/cloth material was draped over his back to mark the site of the puncture. _

_--'Shitshitshitshitshitttt...'--_

_It wasn't too bad at first. The initial insertion stung, and then there was a really uncomfortable pressure. The pressure heightened until..._

_--"FUCK. DADDDD!"--_

_He clenched his father's hand tightly. The pain was absolutely unbearable. Itachi snapped his eyes shut and grimaced. His breathing became ragged and pained. Fugaku felt an unfamiliar wetness gather in his eyes as he watched his elder son shake and writhe in pain..._

-_end flashback-_

He glanced over at his parents- his dad absentmindedly carrying his little brother on his left, and his mother clutching her purse with anxiety on his right.

Sasuke was the only one that looked normal. His face expressed content and a hint of confusion as to why they were in such a stress-laced place. Itachi looked over at Sasuke, who was busy waving at patients and the loved ones of patients. They all looked back with smiles. What a sweet little sunshine he was! He was a momentary release from the worries that clouded this hospital.

_It must be nice not to understand what's going on…_Itachi said to himself.

His legs were starting to ache again.

_Who the hell made the blueprint for this place?_

He saw a little girl, and his stomach lurched. The girl must have been about 5-6- around Sasuke's age. She was bald, and sickly looking. Though she was standing, it looked like she was about to fall any second. Her hand dragged along a metal rack on wheels with IV bags attached to it. The IV tubes wound around the rack and disappeared within the folds of her blue hospital gown. What if that was Sasuke? Sasuke was the prince of the family, in the sense that everyone was quick to cater to his wishes and always ready to oblige to whatever he wanted- if he got what he want, the oblige-er would be rewarded by a very sweet smile and a heartwarming hug. What if Sasuke was sick and in the hospital? What if that little girl was a princess to her parents? What if...

The walking stopped abruptly. The nurse opened a heavy wooden door and gestured for them to enter. It looked like a conference room, with an oval table and many chairs. An assortment of documents rested on the table as kindly-faced doctor in a white lab coat shuffled them around. The doctor seemed nice, and looked only a few years older than his father. When he looked up, he gave them a smile- not a "say cheese!" smile, but a gentle and reassuring one.

"Come take a seat." He beckoned.

They sat across the doctor. He took a deep breath and began.

"My name is Taikei Michiyo, but you can call me Doctor Michi. I'm sure these past few months have been pretty stressful and tiring for you. I know you have been looking for a diagnosis for quite a while. I had a suspicion that I knew what was causing you to feel the way you do, and a blood test from last week confirmed it. I'm going to ask you all not to speak until I finish."

Fugaku nodded stoically. From underneath the table, both parents reached to hold Itachi's hands.

The doctor spoke while looking directly into Itachi's eyes, even though he was speaking to all of them. Itachi searched the Dr. Michi's eyes- they looked full of emotions, as if something was hiding under that calm appearance.

"Let's start from the beginning. Three months ago, your parents made an appointment for a routine checkup, and your mother told your physician about the reoccurring headaches- Doctor Yoshikuni prescribed a few prescription analgesics and altered your normal meds for existing conditions such as hemophilia and anemia. When Doctor Yoshikuni asked me to work on your case, I reviewed your entire anamnesis- you've been through a lot- appendicitis, anemia, hemophilia, asthma attacks…"

He stopped for a brief moment.

"Then you came in again about a month later. Doctor Yoshikuni has on his notes…hold on…"

He shuffled a few papers and then read out loud.

"Pale…fatigue…headaches- lack of appetite…refer to specialist… He was very concerned about you, Itachi. Then a few weeks later, your parents called in about random bruises. You said they might be from basketball, but Yoshikuni was concerned. That's when we went hardcore on a diagnosis. Then a few weeks later you had a pretty devastating collapse- and then we decided to retest. We have records of multiple blood tests, bone marrow tests, a spinal tap, an immunophenotyping, and a cytogenetic scan. All of these helped point me to a diagnosis. After the collapse, your home-nurse took notes that you barely ever got out of bed and rarely ate anything. I'm very glad you could make it here today, Itachi. What I'm about to tell you is going to change your life. It's going to test you in a way that I'm sure you have never been tested before."

Itachi fought the urge to roll his eyes. How cliché…

Doctor Michi stopped again and took a deep breath.

"Itachi, your diagnosis as supported by tests and research is…

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Leukemia."

* * *

Hello beautiful people! Thank you all so much for the reviews- It really motivates me to write more!

Ahh, so now you know what's up with Itachi. Poor guy, I'm gonna make him SUFFER. :-P

No worries, I love Itachi just as much as you do :)


	6. Breathe

Her face was buried into his chest

Her face was buried into his chest. The room was completely silent and it seemed so foreign. It was the same room they had slept in together for over fourteen years, but now it held an atmosphere of change. There was no movement in the room except for her shoulders heaving as she wept. He kept his face hidden from her. He had to stay strong; he had to be there to hold her up. He brushed her hair away from her face and gazed into the eyes of the woman he had fallen in love with so long ago. They had come so far- millions of dollars, two kids, and fourteen years later, they had to come up short with a road block dropped right in front of them. How could this happen? Surely they did not deserve this- they were leading philanthropists that, coincidentally, funded research for

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

cancer.

Why Itachi? He was a great kid with the whole package- looks, money, charm, popularity…

He had so much to live for. He didn't deserve this.

_Knockknock_

"Can I come in?"

"………"

"Hey bud, are you awake?"

"………"

"I'm coming in, mkay?"

"………"

Itachi sighed. His eyes stung as he opened them to peer at the intruder. He pulled his head back under the covers.

"What do you want?"

Fugaku sat down on the bed and looked away from his son. Silence graced the air. He turned around and pulled the blanket away from his son. He was faced with…

Someone he didn't recognize.

Of course, this was indeed his son, but his eyes expressed fear and worry- completely different than the confident and dignified son he knew only a few weeks ago. Itachi's eyes were red- and not because of the Sharingan. His hair clung to his forehead and his body gave the overall impression of a deflated tire- completely worn out and ready to kick the bucket.

Fugaku looked away again. He had to get away.

He couldn't. This was his son, the son that he had loved and cherished even before his birth.

His heart hurt for Itachi. He felt immense misery and the tightness in his chest was enough to drive him insane.

"You alright?"

…No answer.

"It's going to be okay, you hear? Don't worry. It's…it's…"

He let out a sigh and reached over. He laid down on the bed and pulled Itachi close to his body. The shallow breathing and whimpering of his son prevented him from falling asleep, though he wished that he would.


End file.
